The connector structure of this type is utilized to connect an integrated circuit having a plurality of IC terminals with an electronic circuit having a plurality of electronic pads respectively paired with the IC terminals of the integrated circuit to test the electronic performances of the integrated circuit before it is put on the market. The word "an integrated circuit" refers here to a semiconductor chip wafer, a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and a semiconductor integrated circuit chip package. In order to test the integrated circuit, IC terminals of the integrated circuit are to be electrically connected with the electronic pads of the electronic circuit, respectively.
There have been provided various types of integrated circuits such as ball grid array types or fine-pitch ball grid array types. The IC terminals of such integrated circuit are formed with solder bumps and arrayed at one side of the integrated circuit. Because of the fact that the IC terminals of the integrated circuits are formed with solder bumps, the IC terminals of the integrated circuit may have different heights. This may cause some problems that the IC terminals of the integrated circuit partially cannot be electrically connected with the electronic pads of the electronic circuit when the integrated circuit is put on the electronic circuit to have each of the IC terminals face each of the electronic pads. The connector structure such as an IC socket, therefore, is utilized to connect the integrated circuit and the electronic circuit.
There is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 a primary example of a conventional IC socket 1 designed to connect an integrated circuit 6 and an electronic circuit 7. The integrated circuit 6 has a plurality of IC terminals 6a while the electronic circuit 7 has a plurality of electronic pads 7a each paired with the IC terminals 6a of the integrated circuit 6. As shown in FIG. 10, the IC socket 1 comprises a support portion 2 and a plurality of probe pins 3 each having first and second electrically conductive terminals 3a and 3b at its respective longitudinal ends. The support portion 2 of the IC socket 1 is formed with a plurality of through bores 2a having each of the probe pins 3 respectively received therein. The IC socket 1 is positioned between the integrated circuit 6 and the electronic circuit 7 to electrically connect the integrated circuit 6 and the electronic circuit 7. Under these conditions, the integrated circuit 6 is urged toward the electronic circuit 7 by urging means (not shown in the drawings), to ensure the connections between the integrated circuit 6 and the electronic circuit 7 by way of the IC socket 1.
FIG. 11 shows one of the probe pins 3 in detail. The probe pin 3 herein shown comprises a coil spring 4 having first and second contact balls 4a and 4b at its both ends to be respectively held in contact with the first and second terminals 3a and 3b of the probe pin 3. The first and second terminals 3a and 3b of the probe pins 3 are respectively held in contact with the IC terminals 6a of the integrated circuit 6 and the electronic pads 7a of the electronic circuit 7. The coil spring 4 enables to withstand the force generated on the IC socket 1 by the urging means which is urging the integrated circuit 6 toward the electronic circuit 7.
The conventional IC socket 1, however, cannot meet requirements of recently designed integrated circuits to the effect that each of the integrated circuits should have terminals arranged at an extremely short interval.
Moreover, the curved line distance between the integrated circuit 6 and the electronic circuit 7 caused by the coil spring 4 is much longer than the straight line distance between the integrated circuit 6 and the electronic circuit 7. This difference in distance may bring about errors on the results of the test especially when the electronic performances of the integrated circuit are tested.
Furthermore, the coil spring 4 to generate electromagnetic induction is liable to cause an undesirable effect on the results of the test.
Another example of a conventional IC socket 11 designed to connect an IC 16 and an electronic circuit 17 is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The IC socket 11 comprises a support portion 12 having a predetermined thickness and formed with upper and lower surfaces 12a and 12b substantially extending in parallel relationship with each other, and a plurality of first and second terminals 13a and 13b.
FIG. 13 partly shows the IC socket 11. The support portion 12 is made of an insulating rubber such as a silicon rubber and has a plurality of electrically conductive wires 15 each embedded in the support portion 12 in inclined relationship to the upper and lower surfaces 12a and 12b to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined small pitch. The first and second terminals 13a and 13b are respectively positioned on upper and lower surfaces 12a and 12b of the support portion 12 with their center axes dislocated from each other to have received therebetween some of the electrically conductive wires 15. The electrically conductive wires 15 spaced apart from each other at the predetermined small pitch results in each of the first and second terminals 13a and 13b of the IC socket 11 being kept insulated from the adjacent first and second terminals 13a and 13b, respectively.
The IC socket 11 shown in FIG. 13 is positioned between an integrated circuit 16 and an electronic circuit 17 to electrically connect the integrated circuit 16 and the electronic circuit 17. Under these conditions, the integrated circuit 16 is urged toward the electronic circuit 17 by urging means (not shown in the drawings), to ensure the connection between the integrated circuit 16 and the electronic circuit 17 by way of the IC socket 11. The support portion 12 and each of the electrically conductive wires 15 embedded in the support portion 12 in inclined relationship with the upper and lower surfaces 12a and 12b of the support portion 12 enables the IC socket 11 to withstand the force generated by the urging means which is urging the integrated circuit 16 toward the electronic circuit 17.
The conventional IC socket 11, however, cannot meet the requirements of recently designed integrated circuits to the effect that each of the integrated circuits should have terminals arranged at an extremely short interval.
Moreover, the first and second terminals 13a and 13b respectively positioned on upper and lower surfaces 12a and 12b of the support portion 12 with their center axes dislocated from each other to have some of the electrically conductive wires 15 which are in inclined relationship with the upper and lower surfaces 12a and 12b of the support portion 12 received therebetween. This structure of the IC socket 11 is complex in structure and thus makes it difficult to have a number of terminals in a small space.